If you own a venture that sells coffee or run a small business, then a commercial espresso machine is a must-have. A lot of people these days depend on a morning cup of espresso to get them through their busy work days. Therefore serving up the finest coffee on the block is a great way to keep customers coming back to you or keep your employees happy.
In this article, we’ll be looking at our top five commercial espresso machine picks for 2019. You can also visit a few more coffee blog like Drippedcoffee or Coffeeurban to read more in-depth commercial espresso machine buying guide.
- Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine
- DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso Machine
- Nespresso VertuoPlus Espresso Maker
- Jura 15116 ENA Micro 90 Espresso Machine
- Gaggia Anima Coffee and Espresso Machine
Espresso Machine Buying Guide
Buying an espresso machine should be easy, as long as you know what your requirements are.
Why spring for a Commercial model?
While a budget machine that uses pre-ground coffee gets the job done, it doesn’t allow you to give your customers the best. If your clientele consists of a lot of coffee aficionados, a commercial model is essential to have. They can bring out the true flavor of your coffee by allowing you to control a ton of brewing variables.
What’s better for you: Super Automatic or Semi-Automatic?
Super automatic machines come with a lot of presets, allowing you to get espresso brewed a number of different ways with a mere press of the button. In contrast, a semi-automatic espresso machine allows you to take more control of the coffee brewing process.
Top 5 espresso machine picks for 2019 – Reviews
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine
The Pros
The Barista Express has dose-control grinding which means that it will grind up just the right amount needed to bring out the true flavor in any type of bean. You also don’t have to worry about temperature fluctuations ruining the taste of your coffee thanks to the PID temperature control technology present.
The Barista Express also comes with a steam wand, allowing you to manually create cool micro-foam texture art for your customers.
The Cons
If you serve just a couple of types of espressos, this machine may be a bit of an overkill, considering the price.
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso Machine
The Pros
With the Magnifica, you can create many of your own brewing presets and save so it for later use. This saves time and therefore money. The level of customization is simply delightful. You have the ability to adjust everything from the grinder settings to the strength of your coffee.
The Cons
The Magnifica, like the Breville Barista Express, is quite expensive. If you don’t sell a lot of espresso then this investment may be unjustified. Also Maginifica also has a pretty small water reservoir so you’ll be refilling that constantly.
Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Maker
The Pros
Despite its lower price tag, the Nespresso VertuoPlus still retains some of the more important features of an automatic espresso machine. For instance, it has five cup sizes for some of the most popular types of espresso. It also has a separate blending preset for each of type.
Morever, the machine works very quietly and is quick to warm up.
The Cons
The biggest downside with the Nespresso VertuoPlus is its build quality. Some of its components, including the water container, are made up of plastic and therefore you shouldn’t expect it to last as long as a high-end espresso machine.
Jura 15116 ENA Micro 90 Espresso Machine
The Pros
True espresso aficionados will be delighted by the Micro 90. Its Aroma G3 grinder grinds so perfectly that the original aroma is completely maintained. Moreover, it is super-fast when it comes to grinding and so is perfect for the impatient coffee drinker.
The Micro 90 uses a technology called the ‘Pulse Extraction Process’ or PEP which extracts espresso from the ground coffee in a way that allows all of the flavours to brought out. This is done by sending hot water through the ground coffee at constant time intervals instead of all at once.
The Cons
It’s the most expensive one on the list and therefore is only suited if your customers drink a lot of espresso and are willing to pay a premium for a cup.
Gaggia Anima Coffee and Espresso Machine
The Pros
The Anima has a great interface with easy-to-use controls, easily removable components for maintenance and cleaning, a host of custom brewing options, the ability to remember custom presets, a steam wand and a low-energy standby mode.
If you need to brew with pre-ground coffee, the Anima also has a ‘Bypass Doser’.
The Cons
Other than its price tag, you’ll have to perform weekly maintenance on the Anima in order to keep it running healthy.
In Conclusion…
When browsing for a commercial espresso machine for small business, it’s best to focus on what your requirements are. Is a commercial model right for you or would any regular machine suit your needs and the needs of your customers?
All of the five espresso machines we’ve reviewed have something great to offer. Our personal pick from the list is the Gaggia Anima. It ticks off everything in our list in terms of features, ease of use, build-quality and price. We recommend it to anyone who’s in the market for a super-automatic espresso machine and can afford it.
To read more on topics like this, check out the house category.
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